The present invention relates to the bakery field and, specifically, relates to a method and a product produced by the method which has a prolonged shelf life. Even more specifically, dough containing bakery products if first proofed, then frozen prior to baking exhibit, prior to the present invention, a predetermined relatively short shelf life of about 8 weeks, at best. The present invention relates to a method for significantly increasing the shelf life of the dough containing product while maintaining an extremely delicious taste and, in addition, while also maintaining the desirable aroma which is produced by baking subsequent to removal of the product from a storage freezer and placing the same in an oven for baking.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shelf life of a croissant which has been preproofed, frozen, prior to baking, is provided.
Thus, the present invention provides a preproofed, frozen yet unbaked dough containing product which has a significantly extended shelf life and therefore, has maintained within the bakery product, for a longer period of time, the CO.sub.2 and moisture originally entrapped therein such that, upon actual baking of the product, after removal of the same from a freezer or other cold storage device, a good taste is provided and a fresh baked aroma is emitted.